Wings of Light

He used his willpower to suppress the pain within his body, guiding that power of light through his meridians and slowly merging it into his martial soul.

The dark red turkey phantom began to change.

Pale golden patterns emerged within the flames, as though someone were embroidering a dark red canvas with golden thread.

The turkey phantom also grew more slender, its wings broadened, and its tail feathers lengthened.

Though it still retained the outline of a turkey, it had gained an indescribable change in temperament.

No one knew how much time passed—perhaps a quarter of an hour, perhaps two hours.

The energy flooding into his body finally settled.

Ma Hongjun opened his eyes, and a flash of pale gold flickered through his pupils.

He raised his right hand and activated his Soul Power.

A ball of flame ignited in his palm.

It was no longer purely dark red. Threads of pale gold ran through the dark crimson, like a scattering of golden powder beneath the afterglow of the setting sun.

His first soul ring rose beneath his feet.

Yellow, a four-hundred-and-fifty-year soul ring.

Flender looked at that soul ring, satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

The normal limit for a first soul ring was four hundred and twenty-three years.

This one was four hundred and fifty years.

A full twenty-seven years higher.

"Kid, how do you feel?" Flender asked.

Ma Hongjun sensed the state of his body, and the corners of his mouth slowly rose.

The Evil Fire was still there, but that maddening evil nature had clearly been suppressed somewhat.

It was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil. Though it still roiled, it was no longer quite so violent.

"Teacher." Ma Hongjun raised his head, his eyes bright as stars. "This path is the right one."

The soul ring absorption process lasted far longer than Ma Hongjun had expected.

The moment that yellow century-old soul ring settled over his head, a warm power surged into his body like a tide.

It was not the fierce confrontation he had imagined, but a gentle energy carrying the breath of sunlight, slowly flowing through his meridians.

Strange.

Ma Hongjun had thought that light and Evil Fire would be as incompatible as fire and water, clashing violently within his body.

But what he actually felt was completely unexpected.

That power of light did not confront the Evil Fire head-on. Instead, like water seeping into sand, it silently merged into his martial soul.

The dark red flames churned within him, as though they sensed an outsider's intrusion and instinctively developed hostility.

Yet the power of light did not fight them. In a gentle manner, it wrapped around, permeated, and neutralized certain things within the Evil Fire.

The feeling was difficult to describe.

It was like slowly pouring clean water into a cup of muddy water, gradually diluting the murkiness.

Though it had not yet become completely clear, it was no longer as filthy as before.

Ma Hongjun kept his eyes tightly shut, sensing the changes within his body.

The Evil Fire was still there.

That scorching heat, that impulsiveness, that maddening evil nature had not vanished, but it had clearly been suppressed to some extent.

If the Evil Fire before had been a wild beast that could break free of its chains at any moment, then now, that beast had gained another chain around its neck.

It still struggled and roared, but it was no longer so free.

More importantly, Ma Hongjun felt a clarity he had never experienced before.

The sense of losing control when he awakened, of being drowned in evil thoughts, had disappeared. In its place was a calm state in which he could control himself.

His consciousness was no longer disturbed by that primal urge. He could think, judge, and make decisions clearly.

This felt great.

Ma Hongjun slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

A trace of dark red firelight drifted within that breath before dissipating into the morning air.

"How is it?" Flender's voice came from beside him.

Ma Hongjun turned his head and saw his teacher leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest, with a rare hint of concern in his gaze.

"It feels..." Ma Hongjun thought for a moment before finding the most fitting description. "Like drinking a bowl of ice water in the height of summer—cool from head to toe, and comfortable all over."

The corners of Flender's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a rare trace of a smile.

"Then it worked."

He walked over and looked Ma Hongjun up and down.

The soul ring had completely merged into his body without any rejection, proving that choosing a Light Element soul beast had indeed been correct.

"What about the Evil Fire?" Flender asked the question that concerned him most.

Ma Hongjun closed his eyes and carefully sensed the condition within his body.

"It's still there," he answered truthfully. "But... it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Before, it felt as if something were burning inside me, and I couldn't suppress it no matter what I did. Now, that fire isn't burning as fiercely. It's like something poured a ladle of water over it."

Flender nodded thoughtfully.

"A light-attribute soul ring has indeed had a suppressive effect. But this is only your first soul ring, so the effect is limited. We'll still need to keep searching for Light Element soul beasts in the future to gradually eradicate it."

"I understand," Ma Hongjun said seriously.

Flender looked at him, and a trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes.

This child was not only extraordinarily gifted; his mind was also far more mature than that of his peers.

If it had been any other six-year-old, after enduring the pain of absorbing a soul ring, they would have already been crying for their parents.

But Ma Hongjun was different. Not only had he not complained, he could clearly describe the changes in his body and even understood the direction of his future cultivation.

That composure did not seem like that of a child.

But Flender did not dwell on it.

Geniuses always had their own unusual traits.

"Tell me about your first soul skill."

Flender changed the subject. This was also what interested him most. "What ability did the soul ring grant you?"

Ma Hongjun froze.

He had been so focused on sensing the changes in his body that he had not yet had time to examine the information on his soul skill.

Prompted by Flender's question, he immediately calmed his mind and sensed the special power contained within the soul ring.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, surprise flashing through them.

"Flight," Ma Hongjun said. "It's a flight ability."

Flender's brows shot up.

"Flight?" His voice carried obvious surprise. "You gained the ability to fly from your first soul ring?"

"More accurately, it's Wings of Light." Ma Hongjun recalled the information about the soul skill and spoke word by word.

"After activating the soul skill, a pair of Light Wings will spread from my back, granting me the ability to fly short distances. At the same time, the power of my flames will also be enhanced."

Flender fell silent for a moment, seemingly digesting the information.

Flight-type soul skills usually appeared at higher levels.

His Four-Eyed Owl was a flight-type martial soul, yet he had only gained a true flight ability from his third soul ring.

Though Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix possessed avian traits, it was fundamentally still fire-elemental. Gaining the ability to fly from his first soul ring was indeed unexpected.

But upon further thought, Flender understood.

The Holy Light Sparrow itself was a flying Light Element soul beast. It was only natural for the soul ring it provided to grant a flight ability.

Such cases were simply rare, which was why it came as a surprise.

"How much is the enhancement? What are the limitations?" Flender pressed.

"The power of my flames increases by around thirty percent."

Ma Hongjun answered honestly. "I can fly after the Light Wings spread, but it cannot last long—probably only about a minute. There is also a limit to how high I can fly. I can't go too high."